


In this reunion you and I were found

by twdsnsd18



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: F/F, Reunion, good for the heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 01:30:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19346809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twdsnsd18/pseuds/twdsnsd18
Summary: Seungwan wasn’t a big fan of attending her high school reunion but in the end she didn’t regret going.





	In this reunion you and I were found

High school reunions were pointless. It only served for the extremely successful ones. The kind that counted down the days until they could blabber about how much achievement they’ve concurred.

And Seungwan hated being a part of that little group. It wasn’t her desire to share her success with classmates she’s never even talked to once. Yet, it was inevitable.

She couldn’t prevent the news reports claiming her as one of the best songwriters. She couldn’t delete the posts of artists and idols pictures with her. She definitely couldn’t have stopped Dispatch from releasing news that made her purely platonic friendship with Sooyoung, a rising model, appear as a sparking romance.

(Seungwan had never wanted to disappear off the face of the earth so bad after that incident. She wasn’t even an idol for Dispatch to be hounding on.)

So clearly everybody knew of her success. She regretted not having used an alias or converting into a ninja to remain hidden.

As soon as she stepped foot into the venue of the treacherous reunion, Seungwan was attacked by people she’d never socialized with before. She was passed around like a beach ball. When one group was finished another snatched her.

At least somebody had the decency to provide her with an alcoholic beverage. She’d need plenty to get through the night.

Currently, she was in the midst of internal pain while an old classmate told her and others his tales of how quickly he rose to become CEO of some company overseas. Seungwan held in the urge to laugh in his face because of how ridiculous he appeared to her. She believed that a man who inflated his ego and overcompensated for his supposed success was trying to make up for other departments.

(She resolved he was probably shit in bed.)

“Son Seungwan.”

That voice. That velvety voice. She hadn’t heard that voice in years.

Seungwan turned around and was blessed. “Bae Joohyun.”

“Didn’t peg you for a reunion type.”

“I’m not but I was forced by Soo-” Seungwan stopped herself from completing the name. It was dangerous for Sooyoung’s name to be slipping out of her mouth.

There were too many nosy onlookers. Thankfully, Joohyun was always one to catch on the drift. She wiggled the empty glass in her hand. “I could use another drink. Care to join?”

Seungwan chugged the rest of hers down. “It’d be my pleasure.”

~~~

They sat at the bar and ordered their respective drinks. Seungwan observed the way Joohyun carried herself. There was something different about her aura but she couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was.

When their drinks arrived, Seungwan initiated the conversation. “It’s been years since we’ve seen each other and it’s reunion custom for this question to be included,” she allowed Joohyun to sip her drink before asking, “And how have you been?”

Joohyun gave a half sided grin. She tapped the side of her glass as a pensive expression decorated her face. “I’ve been...okay. Some days could’ve been better but that’s just life.”

“Care to...elaborate?”

“Seriously?”

“We’ve got all night to unpack your many woes of the past years.”

Joohyun let out a mixture of a chuckle and scoff. “We’d need more than tonight for that.”

Seungwan grimaced. “That bad?”

“Like I said, some days could’ve been better.”

Maybe that’s what was different about her. She seemed sadder. More worn out. 

“My offer stands.”

Joohyun gazed right into her eyes. Seungwan felt her breath get caught. Her heart rate proceeded to increase. That was one thing that would never change. Joohyun would always manage to turn Seungwan into mush just from one look.

“You’ve always been such a good listener.” Joohyun gently placed her hand on Seungwan’s and softly squeezed her fingers. She then pulled the classic subject change. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going with you and that model.”

Seungwan groaned into her palms. “Not you, too. Sooyoung is just a close friend. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Really?”

“It’s the truth.”

“But you two looked like you were... _more_ than friends.”

“Sooyoung’s a nice girl, she really is.” Seungwan kept her eyes on the condensation forming on her glass. “But my heart is reluctant to let go of someone else.”

That was the alcohol awakening the hopeless romantic in her. The higher her BAC, the more successful the songs she wrote were. Lyrics that always spoke of a love so powerful and beautiful that it could change the world. 

“If I weren’t mistaken, it seems you’ve been the victim of an unrequited crush. Or love?”

Not unrequited. The one who captivated her heart just never knew.

“Something like that,” It was definitely something between the two but it was safer to be vague.

“Do I know who this person is?”

Seungwan finished the rest of her drink. “I’d say you’re well acquainted with her.”

“Am I?” Joohyun furrowed her brows, presumably trying to crack the code. 

When an invitation to her high school reunion had arrived in her P.O. box, Seungwan’s first thought was to tear it up and throw to the trash. She would have done just that if it weren’t for Sooyoung incessantly telling her that it was a must to attend. And as fate would have it, she was meant to be here.

She'll have to send the woman a thank you basket. Full of her favorite wines.

“Would you like to know?”

Joohyuns brows peaked with interest. “If you're willing to unpack your woes of unrequited love, then why not.” she teased playfully.

“However, if I tell you,” Seungwan paused, causing a moment of suspense. She took her time sipping her drink while impatience slowly grew on Joohyuns face. 

“What? Spit it out, woman!”

“If I tell you I’d have to kill you.”

Joohyun nearly spat her drink out from the shocking revelation. “Geez, didn’t think you’d have any murderous intent in your bones after writing about love for so long.”

“Trust me, it’s become pestilent.”

“It’s ironic, that’s what. You hate writing love songs but yet you are a fool in love.”

“Put yourself in my shoes, I write about happy love that’s supposedly magical while living with feelings that never achieved, never reached the one they’re made for.”

Jaw slightly slacked open and eyes holding compassion, Joohyun reached out and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. A completely unexpected move. Joohyun’s perfume was sweet and delicate. Much like her.

“It must be hard for you.” Joohyun murmured in her ear.

It was. Extremely. Especially when being held by the one she was, in Joohyun’s words, a fool in love with.

“I need to ask you something.”

Much to her dislike, Joohyun unraveled from her. Seungwan closed her eyes for a brief moment, not wanting to believe that she really was about to confess her feelings sitting at the bar of her high school reunion. Cringey as heck.

“What is it?”

With her thumb, Joohyun rubbed patterns on the back of her hand, most likely thinking it had a soothing, calming effect. When in actuality, it was driving Seungwan nuts. Her heart wasn’t fluttering like a small butterfly, it was pounding like the drums in a rock band.

The courage to reveal her sentiments wavered. If she was rejected, she’d lose all hope in love and be out of a job. However, maybe baby steps were best in this case.

So Seungwan tried to gulp down the nerves as she asked instead, “Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, like a date.” Fudgesicle. The D-word really came out of her mouth.

“You’re asking me...on a date?”

It was like the room suddenly became hotter and smaller. Her face burned with what she assumed was the most unappealing blush ever. 

“Well, I…” Seungwan needed another sip of alcohol but realized her glass was empty.

“Seungwan, are you asking me on a date?”

Damn. Why did Joohyun have to exude confidence like there was no tomorrow? Why couldn’t she at least sound a bit more muddled, even if it was fake to just put Seungwan at ease?

Guess it was time to face the world. 

Gathering every ounce of willpower she had, Seungwan gazed directly into a pair of the most gorgeous brown orbs she’s missed for a long time. “Yeah, I am.”

“But what about the one you haven’t let go?”

Guess she’d have to lay it all out because it seemed Joohyun hadn’t made a connection yet. “For the past ten years, all I’ve wanted to do was ask you that question.”

“Oh…” That was it? Just a simple _oh_. And then her eyes expanded, looking as if she’d solve the greatest mystery of time. “Me?! I’m the one you...oh my god.” she finished in a whisper.

“Are you...disappointed?” Seungwan muttered listlessly. Her reaction was sort of gut-punching and slightly anxiety-triggering.

“It’s not that, I’m just...I had no clue you felt that way.”

“I’m a natural at hiding my feelings.”

Just when all hope was starting to slowly fade away into tiny pixels, Joohyun tilted her head up by her chin. “Y’know, that’s too bad, that you waited all this time when you could’ve asked me years ago.”

“How could I possibly? When you’re _you_ and I’m just _me_. I didn’t want to embarrass myself or ruin a friendship I treasured because of rejection.”

“Are you psychic?”

“Uh, no.”

“Then how is it you were so sure of what I’d say?”

“Intuition?”

“Now, that’s ridiculous. You can’t always rely on your sixth sense because as they say: fate works in mysterious ways.”

“You believe in fate?”

There was a sense of tranquility in the way Joohyun smiled. Seungwan couldn’t tell if the shine in her eyes was from the soft glow of the lights at the bar or the alcohol. “Don’t you, Seungwan?”

Fate was a tricky thing but Seungwan did believe that the way things happened was because they were meant to in that way. Like her never pushing for more than friendship. Not letting her skill in writing love songs go to waste even if she’d never been in the close perimeter of a love of her own. Or not remaining in close contact with Joohyun throughout all these years because to her it was safer not to.

Everything in her life was meant to happen in the way it did. And there were times when fate seemed cruel and other times when it was one’s own friend.

But in conclusion, “I think so. What about you?”

“Yes because you believe that fate had set rejection in stone for you...but maybe if you had tested your so-called fateful rejection you wouldn't have carried this burden of never knowing and have had your intuition proven false.”

Wait. Hold on a second. Seungwan’s brows furrowed deeply as she processed each word that was spoken. “Wait...are you saying that—”

“I’m not a bad person, Seungwan, nor am I perfect. And yes, what I’m saying is we could’ve had this date years ago. Come to think of it, I may have had a crush on you.”

“A crush on...on me?” Seungwan prayed with her entire soul that it wasn’t a cruel joke.

“You were cute and always so nice to me. It was inevitable really.”

When Seungwan found her will to speak again after trying to process Joohyun’s revelation, she asked, “Has that crush...well...expired?”

Joohyun became pensive, tapping her chin. “Maybe?” she said which commenced the initial procedure for the shattering of Seungwan’s heart but then added, “Maybe not?”

Confusion. Hope. 

These emotions filled Seungwan to the brim. “So…”

“Guess we’ll just have to find out after our dinner date.” There was faith in finding a light at the end of the tunnel.

“I didn’t know you were such a tease, Joohyun.”

“I’m not but you make it too easy.”

Seungwan frowned playfully. “I don’t know if I should be offended or not.”

“I’ve gotta ask though. How come you never told me that you had a crush on me?”

Because Seungwan wasn’t a risk taker. She didn’t want to ruin a friendship over feelings that could have disappeared after some time (which did not happen). She was content with being friends. As for comfort, she’d constantly remind herself that it was good enough to simply have Joohyun in her life, albeit platonically, than not at all.

“I was complacent with already being your friend.”

Joohyun shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval. “You should never settle for less when there's so much more to achieve.”

“Past me was filled with too much hesitance to follow your philosophy.”

“And what about the present you? Are you still too hesitant?”

“Not since having my first composition become a number one hit. I can go beyond the barriers of love when I’m writing a song. However, being verbally reaching? That’s where I go-” she blew through her lips, striking a thumbs down.

“You just asked me out, may I remind you.” Joohyun then focused on her drink, swirling it around. “The lyrics are beautiful by the way.”

They should be because Seungwan did write them with a beautiful person in my mind. Her very first work inspired by a girl who hasn’t left her heart for years. “Thank you, but there’s nothing familiar about them?”

“Familiar?”

And Seungwan felt the urge to tell her. So she did. “Well, it’s about...you. And me. Our friendship in which I wrote to have blossomed into something.”

“Seungwan…”

She couldn’t settle for one dinner. Seungwan wanted more time. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to keep seeing you more than just tomorrow.”

Then Joohyun looked at her. Like, really looked at her. Right into her eyes, no blinking. And she said, “I’d like that too.”

Seungwan could have jumped onto the bar and screamed. But restrained from doing any foolery. Annoyingly, she still had a reputation to maintain. “I’m so happy I could die.”

“Try not to, it’d be such a tragedy if you pass before our date.”

Date. They really were going on a date. A date Seungwan had asked for. If only Sooyoung could witness this. She’d probably shed a tear or two because her dear friend had finally put on her big girl panties.

“Don’t worry, that’s the last thing I plan to do.”

~~~

Before they knew it, the reunion had come to its end. Everyone must’ve had their own rides home. A spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, maybe even a parent still. But Seungwan came alone and conveniently so did Joohyun.

“Let’s share a cab.” Seungwan offered, trying to keep her cool.

“You don’t mind?”

“Not at all. It’s smarter to just get one together.”

And so they did. The conversation was minimal in the car as they came to a quiet but mutual agreement to simply bask in the sweet melodies playing from the radio. A shy smile or two had been shared, causing loads of heart flutters.

They’d arrived at Joohyun’s place first since it was closer and she’d told the driver to wait for a few minutes because she wanted to spend every last moment of the night with Joohyun. She’d offered to walk Joohyun up to her apartment, ignoring Joohyun’s efforts in stopping her. 

The time between exiting the car and riding up the elevator, endless thoughts and questions cluttered her head. Seungwan had many things she wanted to say but couldn’t put the right words in the right places.

“Here we are,” Jooyun pointed out as they came to a stop.

“Yes, we are.” Seungwan didn’t want to say goodnight, but she had to. “I should go.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Walking out of the building, Seungwan felt a dash of regret hit her for leaving so quickly. Would it have been okay to suggest she didn’t want to leave yet? Maybe this was what Joohyun had meant when she said one shouldn’t settle for less when there’s so much more.

She told the cab driver he could go and ran back inside the complex. The elevator seemed to take its sweet time making her patience cut short. When it finally dinged what she never would have expected to see behind the sliding doors was Joohyun.

“Uh, hi.”

Seungwan blinked twice. “Hi.”

“I realized we didn’t exchange numbers and came down hoping you’d still be here.”

“That’s exactly why I came back too!”

After they’d exchange their digits, they lingered by the elevator. Not really talking at all. Seungwan spoke up first. “I guess I’ll get going.”

“Yeah...or…” Or? The or nailed her to the ground. “You could...come up...if you want.”

Holy shit. Joohyun was inviting her inside. It was like she read her mind. Her tone sounded odd too. Practically bashful. This was a moment in which one’s cool needed to be kept. “Well, do you want me too?”

Crap nugget. That sounded way too smug. 

But then, “I wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t want you to.”

And the malfunctions in her brain had begun. “Oh...um…” she croaked nervously.

“It’s okay, Seungwan, you don’t have to.”

But she wanted to so badly. It was the sole reason she came back. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I just...I’m nervous.”

“Nervous? Why”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. You just make me nervous.”

“Maybe some tea will help calm you and I make a mean cup of tea. How ‘bout it?”

Tea sounded nice at the moment. She could picture it. Both of them taking small sips as they shared stories of the past, laughing and enjoying the reminiscence of their youth.

“I’d love some tea."

“Great,” she grinned and pushed the button for the elevator. “I’ve even got sugar cookies.”

Seungwan loved sugar cookies.

~~~

“We had some crazy times,” Seungwan smiled faintly as their laughing calmed down. 

Joohyun had brought up the time they and other mutual friends had jumped the fence of the school’s pool one night, thinking it’d be okay to take a quick dip. However, the next day at school they were all given a month of detention for trespassing after school hours. The adrenaline had made them all forget about the existing cameras that captured everything.

A silence blanketed them as they drank their tea. Until Joohyun broke through with a soft, “I miss this...I miss talking to you.”

“I miss you,” Seungwan admitted earnestly. “I’m sorry for ignoring all these years.”

“It’s okay, Seungwan. You’re here now.”

“Yeah, I am.” And then it’s like something hits her. “I really like you, Joohyun. So much that I sometimes get scared.”

“I’d never hurt you.” Joohyun reached out, placing a hand against her cheek. “And by the way, my crush hasn’t expired. The feelings that I have may not be as strong as yours but I can feel that you’d help them grow. But I have no doubt that you’d make me fall in love with you.”

She could see the promise in her eyes. A promise of not hurting her. Sincerity has always been Joohyun’s trademark. There was nothing to stop her from trusting it. 

The moment felt right so Seungwan followed her instinct and leaned toward her, stopping inches from her face. Her heart tingled. Joohyun is so beautiful she could look at only her forever. Then she closed the distance between and hoped that it wouldn’t be the first and last time she kissed her.

“It’s late, you should spend the night,” Joohyun said after pulling back from the kiss.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She was lent more comfortable clothing and unlike her bewildering imagination that created all kinds of scenarios once they settled into Joohyun’s bed and said goodnight the woman was out like a light. Or so she thought.

“I don’t bite,” she stated sleepily. 

“That’s...nice to know.” Seungwan was unsure of what to do with that information but then Joohyun reached behind and yanked her arm over her waist. 

“You don’t mind being the big spoon tonight, right? You can be the little spoon next time.”

Seungwan chuckled softly. “No, I don’t mind.”

“Good. Now get some sleep because we’ve got ourselves a big day ahead.”

Snuggled warmly against the girl who’d invaded her heart and mind for years, Seungwan figured that maybe high school reunions weren’t so pointless after all.


End file.
